BOCA RATON, FL and WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN, June 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pathway Health, a leading post-acute consulting services, interim management and education company, and online education provider Redilearning Corp. have announced the launch of their first collaborative effort, a comprehensive online educational series on Rehospitalization. The 10-course package provides concrete operational tools to help post-acute providers avoid unnecessary rehospitalizations and is available on-demand for individuals, as well as corporations interested in making the content available throughout their organization.
"For post-acute providers across the continuum, minimizing avoidable rehospitalizations is critical," commented Pathway Health founder & CEO, Deborah Schuna. "They must have this mastered to attract hospital referrals…and avoid potential negative financial outcomes as well."
The Affordable Care Act mandates payment reductions for hospitals with high rates of readmissions. Since 40 percent of all hospitalized Medicare recipients are discharged to post-acute facilities, hospitals have become increasingly selective about the providers receiving their discharges. Hospitals are seeking those post-acute partners who are least likely to readmit patients to an acute care setting.
Not only must post-acute providers reduce readmissions to gain hospital referrals, they may soon experience direct financial consequences for rehospitalizations themselves. A government commission recently reported that nearly 14 percent of Medicare discharges from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities were readmitted for conditions that were avoidable. In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending payment reductions to skilled nursing facilities for preventable hospital readmissions in its 2014 budget.
"Post-acute providers must act swiftly to implement an organization-wide strategy to reduce unnecessary rehospitalizations," advises Michael Hemlepp, CEO of Redilearning. "Our new series offers critical guidance and tools in an easy-to-use digital format that's grounded in solid learning science."
The 10-part educational series offers tools and strategies to survive in this new, highly competitive landscape. This best-practice approach combines the implementation of INTERACT 3.0 tools with expert support, resources, field professionals and educational programs. Providers learn how to manage patients effectively, with:
· Programs and systems to ensure clinical competency and effective management of key disease states
· Expertise to pick up on subtle clinical changes before they become a crisis
· Processes to quickly and effectively intervene when there is a decline in status
Alignment with key partners and resources to assure smooth care transitions is also emphasized, as it is imperative for the post-acute provider to be successful.
The Pathway Health-Redilearning Partnership
On June 4, Pathway Health and Redilearning announced that they were joining forces. Now Pathway's signature expertise in clinical and operational areas is being delivered using Redilearning's highly acclaimed online system. The result is a powerful combination of critical content and leading age technology not seen before in the post-acute and senior living industry. The first example of the powerhouse collaboration is the 10-course series on Rehospitalization.
The Pathway Health-Redilearning partnership will yield a broad array of must-have courses covering operations, management and resident care. All market segments, from skilled nursing and rehabilitation to assisted living, home health and hospice, will be addressed. For more information on the Pathway Health-Redilearning partnership, visit www.redilearning.com. To explore the Rehospitalization Series, visit www.redilearning.com/rehospitalization.htm.
About Pathway Health
Pathway Health is a professional management, consulting, interim
management and education services organization, serving clients
across the post-acute care continuum. Since 1997, Pathway Health
has been keeping a pulse on industry clinical, regulatory, quality
and reimbursement trends to keep clients on the path to success.
With over 150 experienced professionals, we engage and employ
leading clinical and operational experts to assist our clients in
achieving the next level of performance. It is our people, their
talents and their real-world post-acute experience that set Pathway
Health apart. For more information, call 877-777-5463 or visit
www.pathwayhealth.com.
About Redilearning Corp
Redilearning is an online education company, specializing in
bringing stellar educational resources to the long-term care and
senior living industry. With the most advanced learning management
system in the field, getting the right content to the right people
at the right time--and tracking the results--has never been easier.
Each client chooses the right blend of courses from the
Redilearning library and their own curricula and organizational
messaging. Our clients decide what to track, how to report it, and
what's on their dashboard. With the 24-7 support of our service
team, Redilearning clients are assured they will achieve optimal
results. For more information, call 561-235-5623 or visit www.redilearning.com.
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